Romeo and Juliet Part 4 - Rakoff

Remember what I said a few weeks ago about how hard it is to cast Juliet? I said something about how hard it would be to find a teenage actress to play such a difficult role. According to imdb.com, Rebecca Saire was only fifteen when she played Juliet in the 1978 BBC production, and she did a great job. She wasn’t perfect - she’s no Ann Hasson, for my money - but she did a really impressive job with the role.

The problem with this production wasn’t the acting, (although I don’t like Anthony Andrews as Mercutio. His twitchy style makes it look like Mercutio is snorting coke offstage). The problem is the lighting. My high school drama coach used to say of theater, “Without lights, this is called radio,” which is OK, just not what I’m looking for. I get that they may have been going for a “darker” version of the play, but still, when Mercutio is giving the Queen Mab speech, or Juliet is talking to Romeo from the balcony, the audience wants to see them act, which means you don’t let their faces go into shadow. I know great lighting can’t fix bad acting, but in this case there was good acting being ruined by bad lighting. Very disappointing.

Here are some more of my notes from this production:

• Jacqueline Hill (played Barbara Wright in the first few seasons of Doctor Who back in the 1960’s) is my Fantasy Shakespeare League pick for Lady Capulet.
• John Savident kills the role of Friar John. This is a nothing role. He gets one scene where he spouts an explanation for why Romeo didn’t get the message about Juliet faking her death. Savident is a breath of fresh air, turning the role in to some desperately needed comic relief. He’s my FSL pick for Friar John every time.
• They cut the “Poor John” joke from ACT I Scene 1. It’s the best joke in the play, and they cut it.

This production currently ranks as my second favorite Romeo and Juliet.

Here’s the overall ranking so far:

1. Romeo and Juliet. Dir. Joan Kemp-Welch. Perf. Christopher Neame, Ann Hasson, and Robin Nedwell. Thames Television, 1976. DVD, A&E Television Networks, 2005.
2. Romeo and Juliet. Dir. Alvin Rakoff. Perf. Patrick Ryecart, Rebecca Saire, and Anthony Andrews. 1978. DVD, Ambrose, 2000.
3. Romeo and Juliet. Chor. Kenneth MacMillan. Perf. Angel Corella, Alessandra Ferri, and Michele Villanova. Teatro Alla Scala, Milan, JAN 2000. DVD, Euroarts, 2002.
4. Shakespeare Series: Romeo and Juliet. Dir. Larry Sullivan. Perf. Alex Hyde-White, Blanche Baker, and Dan Hamilton. Shakespeare Video Society, 1982. Amazon.com, 15 AUG 2013.